


Discovering The Waterfront

by Ohmyjoshh



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Dubious Consent, First Time, I want you guys to stay safe but it's not as triggering as it sounds, I'm so sorry about that idk what happened, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Oral Sex, Sex God, This goes in a scary weird direction, but he's not really dead he'll be okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-07 00:33:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8776114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ohmyjoshh/pseuds/Ohmyjoshh
Summary: Tyler lives in a sexless village, where the very concept of even having a sex drive has become obsolete. Josh moves in from the city and changes that. Title from Silverstein's album of the same name.





	1. Itchy

**Author's Note:**

> See that tag up there? I added it just to be safe, please read the notes at the end if you're worried it might be triggering for you.
> 
> Idk what this is or where it came from, but it's basically a drabble and it's unedited.

Tyler wakes to the smell of coffee in the early morning, just as he does every day. The brightening sky outside his window lets him know that the sun is just about to begin it’s rise, which means that it’s time to get a move on with his. Tyler is the co-owner of a small fruit stand in town, and he runs the stand every other day while Mark harvests the fruits for the next day. They trade off this way ever since Tyler became of age and was released from his guardian to pursue his learned trade. This is the way it worked for everyone in town, one spends their life from emergence up until eighteen learning the skills of what will be their trade, which is chosen for them by their assigned guardian. Guardians are assigned, by the child’s creator, to care for and train their new child to prepare them as the guardian’s apprentice. Only about ten new babies are created every generation, which is about as long as it takes for the baby to form in its lab. There is a handful of doctors that work in the lab generating new babies, and they tend to the growth and development of the fetus until it is ready to be “born,” at which point they assign the new guardian.

Tyler has been eighteen for about eight months, though there is not much of a need to keep track of such things once one becomes of age. Eighteen marks the beginning of the rest of his life, the last big milestone aside from being assigned his child. However, there isn’t a set time to look forward to for that, it will just happen one day, so really becoming of age was the last thing he had to look forward to. Now he can settle into a routine and get comfortable. He doesn’t have reason to be unhappy, so he isn’t.

Tyler smiles and greets the other shop owners and stand workers as he sets up for the day. The sun is just beginning to rise, which leaves Tyler only about fifteen minutes before the first patrons start arriving. He unloads his fruits onto the wooden top of the stand’s table and takes a seat on his rickety chair to begin his workday. The gathering of shops that house his stand is on a stretch of bare land between forests, and the area is shared with a few neighboring villages while also serving as a pit stop for those traveling from neighboring areas. It is not entirely uncommon to see one or two unfamiliar faces, but most of these people are well acquainted with Tyler by now. However, it is one of these unfamiliar faces that is met with Tyler’s now.

“Hi there! I’m Josh, nice to meet you!” The stranger, Josh, introduced himself politely. He has bright purple hair peeking out from under a cloth billed cap, and a bright, colorful sleeve tattoo of a tree covering his arm. He is clearly a cityman, as small villages like Tyler’s and the others providing for the shops don’t have tattoo parlors or cloth hats. His smile is absolutely blinding, and Tyler is pretty sure it would be impossible not to return.

“Tyler Joseph, nice to meet you, Tyler returns his introduction in kind, outstretching his hand to be met with a big, firm one of Josh’s. “See anything you like?”

“I’ll say,” Josh returns lowly, though still plenty enthusiastic, and the words are paired with a strange smirk, as though Josh were up to no good. Tyler cannot place the tone in Josh’s voice, but he does notice that Josh has not looked at his selection of fresh fruits once, so his affirmative answer seems ill placed. Tyler is sure he’s missing something, but he continues because it’s all he knows.

“Is there… anything in particular?” Tyler presses on, trying to encourage Josh to make a selection and move on so as not to keep confusing him. Josh seems happy to leave it, finally peering down at the fruits to point out a few for Tyler to bag and charge him for.

“Nice to have met you, Tyler,” Josh purrs, sauntering off like a cat. Tyler is once again left utterly baffled by Josh’s tone, like he has a secret. Tyler shakes it off and continues his routine as normal for the next few hours. Before long, he is being approached very quickly by his neighbor Jenna.

“Tyler, Tyler! Did you hear about the newest member of our village? Everyone’s talking about it!” Tyler’s stomach does a little flip at her words. Is it really time to assign guardians already? Is Tyler really prepared for that? He doesn’t have to wait more than a second before Jenna is continuing. “A cityman is moving in! He has made some sort of arrangement with the men in the lab and they’re letting him stay and help out there!” This has Tyler’s eyes growing impossibly wider.

“A cityman helping out in the lab?! We’re not even allowed in there!” Not that Tyler would want to, gross. Surely citymen have a higher tolerance for things like that. Jenna is nodding and grinning, going on animatedly about how exciting it all is. And she’s not wrong, it’s more action than most people of Tyler’s village see in a lifetime.

+

Tyler discovers by the end of the week that the cityman moving in next door is none other than Josh, the purple-haired ray of toothy sunshine that had Tyler so confused before. Tyler catches glimpses of him here and there, directing the men building his new house, but they haven’t had a proper conversation since meeting. Josh is having a pool installed in his backyard, Tyler notices with interest. He makes a mental note to bring it up when he speaks with Josh again, hoping Josh will take the hint and invite him for a swim. However, he doesn’t get the chance for another three months, when Josh’s house is finished and he’s all moved in.

When they do speak again, it’s actually Josh that brings up the pool. As a matter of fact, he starts the conversation from _inside_ of it.

“Hey neighbor, Tyler, right?” Josh yells from where he’s splayed out naked on a floaty the moment he catches sight of Tyler sitting on a lawn chair in his socks on his own back porch. The sun has set, the air just the slightest bit chilly, and Tyler can see steam rising from the water in the poolside lights Josh has installed.

“Yeah, hey, Josh!” Tyler answers back in his best yell. He rarely has reason to raise his voice. He brushes off the urge to keep quiet though, as Josh is his only neighbor for miles. Jenna’s house is about five miles in the other direction, on the other side of Tyler’s fields of fruit trees for his stand.

“Come on in, the water’s warm!” Josh shouts as a response, and Tyler pauses. He’s not sure if Josh is kidding, but he really _does_ want to swim.

“…Really?” Tyler finally says.

“Really, come on! It’s heated.” Tyler is already standing and approaching the edge of his porch closest to Josh’s back yard. Josh is smiling that bright smile again, and Tyler is smiling back reflexively as he starts the short walk to where Josh is. When he gets there, he stands near the edge to remove his shirt, shivering when the night air hits his skin but recovering quickly. He drops the shirt on a lawn chair and then sits on it to remove his socks, tossing them on the shirt as he stands again. He removes his shorts and boxers in one go, and places them on top of the rest of his clothes, finally naked like Josh. Josh choses this moment to roll off of his floaty and into the deep end, and Tyler climbs the stairs into the shallow end first. They meet in the middle, wading to each other as Tyler gets acquainted with the water, which is indeed heated. Josh is smiling at him, and standing awfully close. Tyler figures it’s a city thing to stand closer together, since they have a higher population and not as much room for personal space. Tyler doesn’t mind, in any case.

“Pretty nice, right?” Josh inquires with a tone that says he already knows, but Tyler nods anyway. He feels oddly comfortable around Josh, like they’ve known each other always, and Tyler is so caught up thinking about how safe he feels that he doesn’t notice Josh closing the distance between them until their lips are touching. Tyler moves back instinctively, thinking Josh must have just bumped his face into Tyler’s accidentally, but then Josh is grabbing Tyler’s face with a hand on each cheek, and hauling back in to do it again. How strange, Tyler thinks, that Josh would just want to mash their mouths together on purpose. But Tyler stands still and focuses, because clearly Josh is trying to do something here, and Tyler should be paying attention. Josh’s lips feel tense against Tyler’s own, and Josh seems to be applying suction. Tyler experimentally does the same, puckering his lips in a similar fashion and sucking at Josh’s lips just a bit. Josh makes a noise, like a moan behind his closed mouth, and Tyler doesn’t know if that’s good or bad, so he’s afraid to try it again. Josh gives him about one second before he parts his lips and darts his tongue out to lick at Tyler’s mouth. Tyler pays close attention, soaking up the strange new sensation. Josh presses himself closer to Tyler and Tyler feels something smooth and hard poking insistently at his hip. Before he can get the chance to pull back and see what it is, Josh is realigning them and pressing back in. Tyler feels a strange sensation in between his legs, a tugging in his lower belly that runs down to his member. Tyler lets out a whimper, confused and nervous. He finally pulls back then.

“Something is wrong,” He states unsurely with furrowed brows.

“What is it, what’s wrong?” Josh asks calmly. Tyler still feels like Josh is safe.

“Something feels weird in my body… like an itch?” Tyler has no idea how to describe the feeling, but when he looks down, he is startled to see that his cock is swollen and hard, sticking out proudly. Tyler gasps at the sight. “Look, see, there’s swelling, I knew something was wrong. I must’ve hurt myself somehow…” Tyler trails off, realizing that can’t be true, as his isn’t in any pain. Josh looks more placating than concerned, which comforts Tyler. Obviously Josh has seen this before, whatever is wrong with Tyler.

“You’re not hurt, Tyler. Look, I’m swollen, too.” Tyler does look, and Josh is right. His cock is standing at attention just like Tyler’s.

“Wha—What are they doing?” Tyler asks curiously, calming down a bit.

“They’re—they…. they like each other. It means they like each other.” Josh amends after struggling to find the words.

“My penis has never liked anything before,” Tyler argues. Josh grins, then, and Tyler is damned if he doesn’t smile back straight away.

“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment then,” his face grows more serious then, before he continues, “Truthfully, nobody’s penis likes anything around here. You guys don’t know what you’re missing.” Josh’s smile has become just a smirk now, and his tone of voice is back to that tone Tyler can’t understand. Tyler doesn’t get hung up on it, because he’s already hung up on the way his dick feels, thinks he might want to let it get to know Josh’s better like it wants. He leans back in to press his lips to Josh’s like they had been doing before, because that was what started all this. Josh presses back willingly, but he pulls back before there’s any tongue involved, much to Tyler’s chagrin.

“Dance with me,” Josh says suddenly, and Tyler wants to protest and insist that they continue this thing with their mouths, but then Josh is wrapping his arms around Tyler’s waist and pressing their bodies together, and Tyler’s protest dies in his throat. That strange feeling is back, that persistent itch of his cock feeling like it’s being perfectly scratched where Josh moves his own against it. Tyler shuts his eyes and wraps his arms around Josh’s neck, moves against Josh as Josh is doing with him. He can’t stop moving his hips against Josh’s, rubbing their cocks together under the water, chasing that feeling he can’t quite name any closer than scratching an itch.

“Ughhh—Josh, so itchy,” Tyler’s voice is lower and whinier than usual, and with every slide against Josh, he feels better, feels so good he can’t think straight. He picks up speed without meaning to, working off instinct while he tries to keep feeling whatever feels so good. He thinks wildly that he’s going mad, his thoughts becoming muddled and fuzzy with each thrust of his hips. Josh moves to reattach their lips and then he’s licking into Tyler’s mouth straight away. Tyler shudders and moans into Josh’s, desperately thrusting against him. All at once, the pleasure Tyler has been chasing peaks, crashing down on him and frying his brain so that all he can see and think and feel is an amazing throbbing between his legs. He pulls his mouth away from Josh’s and screams out, overwhelmed and never wanting it to end. He’s gasping for air in the next second, still wiggling against Josh in the aftershocks and panting. Josh is smiling at him proudly, his eyes half-lidded, while he pets a hand through Tyler’s hair with one hand.

“What was that?!” Tyler demands when he catches his breath.

“That was just them getting to know each other. Did you like it?” Josh inquires, seeming as breathless as Tyler. Tyler nods enthusiastically, smiling and feeling loose-limbed and more satisfied than he ever has. “Good. There’s plenty more where that came from.” Josh smirks, and there’s that tone again. Tyler isn’t confused about it anymore.


	2. Josh The Sex God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Josh was… somewhat similar to a cupid, if a cupid’s job was to ravish an entire village until they were all sex crazy and learned how to reproduce naturally instead of making babies in test tubes. Josh didn’t mean to brag, but he was literally a sex god.

“It is time for you, my son,” the words were a deep bellow erupting from the chest of the beastly, horned demon.

“You’re such a weirdo, Bren. But really? It’s time?” Brendon rolls his eyes and lets his shoulders sag, defeated at Josh’s refusal to play along.

“It’s time,” He nods. Josh stares down through the clouds under his feet, watching the world of scarce villages where he would be stationed. His assignment is to sex up the place, in layman’s terms. Josh is… somewhat similar to a cupid, if a cupid’s job was to ravish an entire village until they were all sex crazy and learned how to reproduce naturally instead of making babies in test tubes. Josh doesn’t mean to brag, but he is literally a sex god. “There is a boy there I think you’ll like. He’s very cute, and he has a beautiful neighbor he could make some fine children with. The two of them are social enough that things should start spreading like wildfire once you get them started.”

“Great. Should be back in time for dinner then,” he winks then, for no good reason other than he’s a natural flirt. A _sex god_ , thank you very much. Brendon rolls his eyes again.

“You’re not cute, you know,” Josh pouts and Brendon continues without pause. “Anyway, his name is Tyler. He works at a fruit stand in the shop between villages. Fix things for them, Josh, or that village is damned.” Josh blinks and Brendon is gone, replaced with trees. Josh is in a forest, a dark one, at that. Judging from the looks of the sky, the sun is very soon to rise. Josh lets his instincts carry him through the trees, and before long he is helped along with his vision as the sun finally rises into the sky. After a bit more walking, Josh starts to hear the hustle and bustle of the shops, and he can see patches of color through the green and brown of the forest.

Nobody seems to notice him push his way out into the clearing, and he finds his way towards the produce area soon enough. He can feel Tyler before he can see him, could smell the guy from the second he emerged from the woods. Brendon is rewarding him for his efforts, apparently, because Josh suspects he is getting a real treat with this one. His suspicions are confirmed when Tyler finally comes into view, thin and lean with one of those faces that can probably go from adorable to fuck-me eyes at the flip of a switch. The switch is currently stuck on “adorable,” but Josh isn’t really mad about it, though he would _love_ to see Tyler’s bedroom eyes. He will, soon enough. That perk came with the job, always.

+

After their first encounter in the pool, Tyler hangs around and actually _does_ swim. Of course, he wouldn’t know that Josh’s invitation to swim was essentially a booty call. Josh stares down at him adoringly, feeling a bit like a proud parent observing his child’s pool party. There’s vague guilt at the fact that Josh can’t help but look down on this kid. For all that he actually is some sort of god (really more of a henchman to a demon but that’s besides the point), he tries not to be so patronizing. The moment you assume you know more than everyone around you is the moment you stop learning, and Josh never wanted to close himself off to new knowledge.

“So what do you do for fun around here?” Josh asks from atop the floaty he has now returned to.

“Oh, that’s right, you city folk must be so bored with a village. That’s why no one’s ever actually moved in. How did you manage to convince them to let you stay? The lab doctors are very elusive.” Tyler seemed very curious and almost suspicious of Josh all at once. Josh felt almost cornered.

“I have my ways. And what makes you think I’m from the city anyway?” Josh challenges, almost entirely out of boredom.

“Your ways? Does that have anything to do with your penis?” Tyler says accusingly. The question seems to be rhetorical, so Josh leaves it and raises his eyebrows instead, prompting Tyler to stop avoiding his questions. “You have a tattoo. We don’t have tattoo parlors. We don’t have cloth hats, either. The hair dye, you could maybe get away with, but the rest of you has ‘city’ written all over it.” Josh just bobs his head in a noncommittal nod. “I like to read, and go on walks. For fun.” Tyler’s voice has slowed and quieted considerably, after a pause long enough that Josh thought he’d never speak again.

“What do you read?” Josh prompts. He wasn’t aware that this village even had books.

“Poetry, mostly. Written by the other villagers. Sometimes they tell stories too, but those are boring unless it’s about a weird dream. Everyone in the village basically leads some variation of the same life, so reading a recount of it is… grueling.” Tyler smiles at this, but his eyes look sad. Josh is hit with the realization of just how bland life must be for these villagers. It wasn’t just the crippling boredom, but the loneliness must have been daunting. No parents, no family, no lovers. Josh cannot possibly imagine such an existence. As if on cue, Tyler wades back over to invade the space of Josh and his floaty.

“That stuff we just did… was that city stuff?” Tyler asked casually, and Josh is surprised it took Tyler this long to bring it up. Josh isn’t sure how to answer, because he’s never even been to any nearby cities, and he knows they don’t have sex there, or he wouldn’t have been sent down. But it’s not like he can tell the truth. He opts for nodding instead, figures he can’t really be lying if he doesn’t speak. “I want more.” Tyler stated bluntly. Josh’s dick seems to hear Tyler before his ears do, twitching awake at the mention of a job to do. A wide grin spreads across Josh's face.

“Good, there’s much more to be had. Come inside and I’ll show you.” Josh flops into the water and wades over the ladder to climb out, turning to reach a hand down for Tyler’s. Tyler takes his hand and lets himself be pulled out of the water. Josh keeps a hold of his hand as he enters his new house, Tyler trailing along behind him all the way to Josh’s bedroom.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um? Now that you know what a weird direction this is headed in, let me know if you still want me to continue this au.
> 
> P.S. Brendon looks like he did in the "Emporor's New Clothes" video, if you didn't pick up on that.


	3. Tyler's First Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyler looks thoroughly confused, and Josh never was great at explaining things, a firm believer of actions speaking louder than words. “I’ll show you what sex is.” Josh reassures. Tyler smiles, looking mischievous and excited.

Brendon is perched on his throne tapping his four fingers in a row in an impatient gesture. Josh has been away for almost an hour now, which would be months in the villagers’ time. What would Josh need months for? This was usually a process that took about 2 minutes, one night in the village. Every dimension Josh entered for his purposes was ready for him, ready for sexual enlightenment. Brendon had done his research, had felt it in his gut as always, and now Josh still hadn’t returned. Brendon snaps his fingers for a henchman to appear. A thin boy with dark hair and a perfect, cherubic face appears in front of him straight away, the newsboy cap on his head fluttering with the speed with which the boy moved.

“Begin dinner, Ryan,” Brendon orders with a dismissive hand. The boy is gone just as quickly, and Brendon can hear his movement in the kitchen. If Josh doesn’t arrive by the time dinner cools, Brendon is going down to get him himself.

+

Tyler’s hand rests warm and safe in Josh’s own while he follows the other man up a set of modern, glass stairs and into a room with a color scheme consisting of slate gray and deep crimson. Tyler is still admiring it when Josh appears in front of him, standing very close again. He glances down at Tyler’s lips for the briefest of seconds before making eye contact, but Tyler has already seen and is instantly reminded of what they had done in the pool just an hour before. Tyler has requested that they do so again, and so he begins, pressing forward to connect his lips to Josh’s. Josh immediately grabs Tyler’s face with both hands on either side, and it makes Tyler feel so safe and _wanted_. He grabs desperately at Josh’s upper arms, trying to haul him closer. Josh falters, removing his hands, and Tyler almost rolls his eyes, ready to get on with it.

“I have a lot to teach you, Ty. Like, this?” Josh presses his lips against Tyler’s again for a few moments, bringing one hand back up to Tyler’s face. “That’s called a kiss. Kissing. You can use your tongue or just lips. There are a lot of activities you’ve never participated in. I intend to show you all of them.” Josh explains. Tyler is listening intently, ready to learn anything Josh wants him to as long as he can feel good again. Josh is turning the two of them around, so Tyler’s back is to his bed, and then Josh places his hands over Tyler’s pectorals and gives him a shove. Tyler is knocked on his back on the bed with a huff, smiling playfully up at Josh because Josh is smiling playfully at him and Tyler can’t help it. Josh climbs over him and hovers for a moment before pressing a kiss to Tyler’s lips again. It’s a short one, the shortest yet, but before Tyler an complain, Josh presses more kisses over his neck and collarbone, trailing down towards his stomach. Tyler is suddenly very aware of the fact that they’re both still naked, and he can see that Josh is half swollen in between his legs. Tyler can relate. He starts when he feels Josh wrap his lips around the head of Tyler’s penis. He pushes against Josh’s forehead forcefully with the palm of his hand.

“Josh, no, I pee out of there!” Tyler exclaims with worried brows upturned. Josh closes his eyes for a moment, looking like he’s trying to reign something in. Tyler realizes what it is a moment later when he sees that Josh’s shoulders are shaking, a smile spreading over his face. He opens his eyes and looks up at Tyler fondly. Tyler is blushing at the idea of being laughed at, but his heart still flutters at the way Josh is looking at him.

“Ty, that’s okay, really. Pee isn’t the only thing that comes out of there.” Josh’s grin shrinks back into his default smirk, watching the gears turn behind Tyler’s eyes as confusion takes over his face. “Back in the pool, something else came out. You’d see if you had been watching. That’s what that feeling was. Something coming out.” Tyler’s confused look turns to one of determined resolve.

“Show me,” He says in a suddenly low voice. Josh rolls his eyes, still looking fond, but he does as he’s told, lowering his head once more. Tyler’s back arches, his eyes rolling back in his head, the moment Josh’s lips wrap back around his member. Tyler stops caring about where his pee comes from, stops caring about anything. Josh’s tongue swirls over the head of Tyler’s dick expertly before he’s sinking down down down and swallowing all of Tyler’s length. Tyler lifts his head just to throw it back again, digging it into the bed and gasping, choking on air. It’s only seconds more before that feeling returns, a wave of blinding pleasure crashing over him once more. He fights the feeling, sitting up quickly and propping up on his elbows to watch what Josh had told him, that something was coming out of him. Sure enough, Josh pulled off of him, wrapping his hand around to stroke, and Tyler could see spurts of something thick and milky squirting onto Josh’s face where he perched above it. Tyler moans at the sight, breathy and overwhelmed. With a final twitch, his dick stops spurting and he relaxes, the intense pleasure fading into a soft, comfortable feeling of satisfaction. Josh smiles at him and climbs up the bed once more, wiping his face off with his hands.

“That was called a blowjob,” Josh informs happily, looking self-satisfied. Tyler sighs, feeling content and tired. He tells Josh as much, but Josh just tisks him, seeming unimpressed. “You’ve got at least one more in you, I’m sure of it. And I haven’t even shown you the best thing yet,” Josh’s eyes shine with that last part, and Tyler’s eyes light up too, his interest piqued once more. He sends a questioning look Josh’s way, and when Josh doesn’t speak or move, Tyler gets impatient.

“Well, what is it then?” He demands, and a grin spreads over Josh’s face.

“That’s what I thought,” He says lowly. He pauses for a moment before answering Tyler’s question. “Sex. There are a few types. Like, blowjobs are oral sex. But that’s nothing compared to penetration.” Tyler looks thoroughly confused, and Josh never was great at explaining things, a firm believer of actions speaking louder than words. “I’ll show you what sex is.” Josh reassures. Tyler smiles, looking mischievous and excited.

 Josh climbs over Tyler, kissing him again and flicking his tongue behind Tyler’s teeth when Tyler opens his mouth to it. While they kiss, Tyler feels Josh lean over and he hears a drawer on the bedside table being pulled open, Josh retrieving something from it and drawing it towards himself. Tyler hears something like a bottle cap opening and then closing a second later. He can hear a slick sound coming from Josh’s hands. Josh starts to kiss Tyler with all he’s got, licking into his mouth thoroughly and scraping his teeth over Tyler’s bottom lip intermittently. Tyler is submerged in it until the moment he feels Josh’s finger rub over his hole. Tyler tenses, his eyes flying open and a gasp cutting through the kiss. Before he can protest, Josh is shushing him, nuzzling his face against Tyler’s cheek.

“I know, I know. It’s okay, Ty, trust me,” Josh reassures, and Tyler whines in the back of his throat, doesn’t know how else to react. Because he _does_ trust Josh, has never felt so close to anyone, despite the fact that Josh is practically a stranger. Tyler nods anyway, willing himself to relax back into the soft downy comforter underneath him. Josh turns his head to return his lips to Tyler’s, and Tyler accepts the kiss easily. He feels the prodding down below again and he tries to relax into it, focuses on the kiss and on trusting Josh, who clearly knows what he’s doing. The rubbing turns into an incessant push, and then Josh’s finger is sinking into him. Tyler whines again, feeling somewhat spooked by the new and intrusive sensation. Josh’s kisses turn soft and careful, letting Tyler know that he’s safe and being taken care of. It works well enough to quell most of the nerves, and Josh is thrusting the finger in and out. Tyler thinks back to how he was pushing his hips forward when Josh was giving him a blowjob, how his penis was thrusting in and out of Josh’s mouth in a similar manner because Tyler couldn’t really help it, was just chasing the feeling. All at once, Tyler understands what’s going to happen. Josh is thrusting his finger in and out of Tyler to prepare it for when he’ll do the same thing with his penis. The idea scares and arouses Tyler simultaneously, and he whines once more. Josh moans in response, but it comes out as a hum where their lips are still pressed together. After a few more thrusts of his finger, Tyler feels a second finger prodding alongside the first, and he feels ready to take it now that he’s confident that he knows what to expect. The sensation of two fingers is just as intrusive and strange as the first, but with more pain. Tyler is tired of whining so he just huffs out air, hoping his nerves will leave with it. He tries to stay focused on the kiss, and it seems like just a second later that Josh is pushing forward a third finger. Tyler balks, a tiny and panicked voice in his head asking how many fingers Josh is going to try and fit. Josh pushes the third finger in just as he curls the first two, pressing them deep. Tyler feels something completely different from any sensation he’s felt tonight. The itch from before is inside now, and so much more intense than before. Tyler lets out a noise, somewhere between a grunt and a scream, feeling completely overwhelmed with the intense itch inside of him. He wants Josh to press hard against that spot and rub it forever.

“Yeah, right there, baby? You like that?” Josh pulls away from the kiss and whispers lowly into the space just in front of Tyler’s shiny, swollen lips. Tyler’s brows are drawn up into this tortured, scared look and he nods eagerly. Josh grins again, still thrusting his fingers into Tyler, but not curling them into his prostate any longer. Tyler lets that happen for all of three seconds before he grunts in frustration, grinding his hips down demandingly onto Josh’s fingers. Josh responds by pulling them out, and he smiles at how immediately Tyler reacts.

“Ugh!” He whines indignantly, his mouth opened into a surprised “o” and his eyes looking angry. Josh giggles before reassuring Tyler.

“Relax, baby. There’s better stuff to come.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? I’m not a baby. My name is Tyler,” Tyler argues, still looking angry. Josh seems to consider this a moment before responding.

“It’s just a nickname. Something you sometimes call people that you have sex with.” Tyler takes in this information for a moment before nodding in understanding, placated. A beat passes between them before Josh reaches for the bottle that Tyler now notices on the bed beside him. Josh pops open the cap and squeezes some of the substance into his hand before spreading it over his hard member. Tyler can’t take his eyes off of it, momentarily hypnotized. Then he’s looking up at Josh’s face as Josh presses his hips forward, the head of his penis pressing against Tyler’s hole. Tyler is looking for reassurance from Josh, but Josh is looking down where he’s pressing against Tyler, so Tyler whines pathetically to get his attention. Josh snaps his head up immediately, seeing the fear in Tyler’s eyes. He drops forward to hover above Tyler. He wraps his free arm around Tyler’s neck, propping himself up on his elbow. He nuzzles Tyler’s face then, muttering reassurances into his ear as he does. Then he’s pressing forward and entering Tyler, and Tyler realizes all at once that he was right to be afraid. The pain is incredible, and Tyler can’t take it. He must say this out loud, and he’s saying it with his body too, recoiling and pushing at Josh’s shoulder’s.

“Hey, hey, Tyler, Ty, hey, you’re okay, I’ve got you, you’re okay,” Josh insists, working to get Tyler’s attention. “I know it hurts, I know, I’ve done it before. But I promise it’s worth it. You’ll feel really good soon, you’ve just gotta relax, okay? Can you do that for me?” He stares into Tyler’s eyes and his eyes are so soft and warm, he looks so earnest and sincere. Tyler cannot find it within himself to deny this man _anything_. He nods then, finding comfort in the fact that Josh has been in his position before. Josh starts to move again, pulling out only to push back in. Tyler’s curls his fingers and digs his nails in where his hands are still on Josh’s shoulders. Josh keeps thrusting in and out for a few minutes and eventually the pain subsides, Tyler becoming used to the stretch. When his whines die off, Josh pushes himself back up onto his hands and aims his next thrust upwards. Tyler had been so focused on working through the pain that he forgot there would be pleasure, and he remembers now. Josh hits that spot deep inside of him again, that intense itch licking up his lower half like fire. He can feel a coiling in his lower stomach and the feeling of pleasure is throbbing from where Josh slams into him and up to the to of penis. He feels his balls draw up as the feeling intensifies, and he tunes in enough to notice that the hearty moans he hears reverberating off the walls are spilling from his own mouth. Tyler does nothing to stop the noises, noting that Josh is making plenty of his own, though not sounding nearly as far gone as Tyler himself.

“Oh, _Josh._ You were right. Feels—so good,” Tyler chokes out between thrusts. Josh responds with a moan, cupping a hand over Tyler’s cheek and tracing his thumb over Tyler’s bottom lip. Tyler sucks it into his mouth instinctively and Josh draws his brows together, looking like a cross between angry and in pain. It’s the same expression that Tyler keeps feeling his own face contorting into, continuously overwhelmed with pleasure. If he feels this good already, he wonders how great he’ll feel when the stuff comes out at the end. He’s gonna die, he thinks. He’s totally okay with that. Josh pulls his hand away from Tyler’s face, his thumb leaving Tyler’s mouth with a soft ‘pop.’ He brings the hand down to wrap around Tyler’s dick, using his thumb to spread Tyler’s slick saliva over the head. Tyler’s brain short-circuits with the sudden onslaught of sensations, and his vocabulary is reduced to one word.

“Josh! Josh Josh!” Tyler screams out desperately, and then even that word leaves his head, and all he’s capable of producing are loud moans and screams of unbearably intense pleasure. He feels the sweet release of that itching for the third time tonight, and he’s vaguely aware of Josh coming apart above him, moaning as he thrusts forward one last time before pausing deep inside Tyler. Somewhere that seems far away from himself, Tyler feels hot heat filling him up and burning from the inside, but he mostly just feels the same intense pleasure, still coming in waves and lasting much longer than both the preceding times. Josh starts moving again, his hips rolling smoothly rather than returning to their previous bruising thrusts. “Mmm,” Tyler articulates, feeling so much friction with the new rolling motion. Josh huffs after a few more seconds, pulling out and collapsing next to Tyler. Tyler feels very cold and lonely suddenly, wants to stay close to Josh. He grabs at Josh’s arm and Josh scoops Tyler into himself easily, wrapping his arms around Tyler like a warm, protective cage. Tyler buries his face in Josh’s neck and holds on tight where his arms are wrapped around the man, feeling more complete and satisfied than any time before.

Somewhere far away, an angry demon tucks into a quickly cooling plate of food.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mess. So if there are plot holes or inconsistencies of any kind, please let me know and I'll fix them, or you can bury them deep down like a shameful secret. 
> 
> Please keep commenting, it's incredibly motivating, and I'm dealing with very intense depression right now so anything motivating is very welcome.
> 
> <3


	4. The Beginning of The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Bren, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I-I just… Things are weird here. Things are weird with Tyler. I think I love him and I wanna keep him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things get very intense and graphic in this chapter. Please check the tags for trigger warnings (dub-con and death). It'll all be okay, trust me, don't freak out. Everything will make sense in good time. And to reward you for putting up with how intense this is, I'll post the next chapter immediately after I post this one so you can have the comfort of resolution. 
> 
> CHECK THE END NOTES FOR SPOILERS IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT TRIGGERS. The scene takes place in the last two paragraphs.

Tyler wakes up automatically just before the sun rises. He feels a strange feeling, an urge to stay in this bed that isn’t his, pressed against the warm body of a practical stranger, rather than go to work. Tyler always wants to go to work, because that’s just what you do. And so, that’s just what he does. He tries to untangle himself quietly and carefully from Josh, respecting the other man’s sleep schedule. Unfortunately, he fails, and Josh stirs just as Tyler stands. Before he can turn around and face the other man, he feels hands kneading at his ass, rubbing ever so slightly, and his dick takes interest before his brain can refuse.

“No no, Josh, I have to open my stand,” Tyler reasons, scooting just out of Josh’s reach. Josh pouts, and as usual, Tyler feels his face just mirroring Josh’s. Tyler purses his lips, trying to look apologetic, before he’s heading towards the door.

“Wait, can’t I at least get a kiss goodbye?” Josh whines. Tyler smiles from where he’s standing before walking back over easily, steadying himself with a hand on the bed next to Josh’s head and leaning in to press his lips against the other man’s. Josh’s hand snakes its way up to cup Tyler’s cheek, and Tyler huffs a breath out of his nose at the contact. He pulls away after a few more seconds, smiling at Josh once more before bounding out of the room. He makes his way down the stairs and out to the back porch to collect his discarded clothing, still neatly folded on the lawn chair, and a bit damp from the morning dew. He just shoves it under his arm and heads back to his own house to get fresh clothing, foregoing a shower due to time constraints. He likes the way Josh smells on his skin, anyway.

+

Josh feels a weird emptiness settle in the pit of his stomach when he hears the door to his back porch slide shut. He realizes after a beat that he’s missing Tyler, which is an odd and unusual sensation for him. He thinks about the first time he saw Tyler, how he could _smell_ him from the outskirts of the field, and how he felt a surge of ~~want~~ _need_ when he first saw him. He shares a much stronger connection with Tyler than any of his subjects before, and he can’t understand why. He’ss having all these weird flashes of dreams, almost like memories that never happened, of he and Tyler eating cheap tacos wrapped in greasy paper, of them racing little red and green cartoon characters on a TV screen, of them on a stage together in front of thousands of cheering spectators. The whole thing has left him so confused over the past few months down here, and now that he’s finally been close to Tyler, he wants to wrap himself around the man and never leave his side, which is another very strange sentiment. He doesn’t have long to dwell on it before he feels a sudden and stifling shift in the air, alerting him of the presence of higher power. He can smell the higher power and it causes his gut to stiffen with dread. Brendon is here.

Josh is pulling on fresh clothes in a flurry, wracking his brain for a proper way to explain himself. How long has he even been down here? Weeks, months? He’s probably missed dinner now, and the amount he’s achieved is dismal. He spent months down here dwelling on the weird feelings he has about Tyler and trying to figure it all out, and he only just got around to sleeping with him last night. Not only should he have slept with Tyler the first day they met, but he should’ve had the whole village fucking by now. Oh, Brendon was going to be so pissed.

Josh follows the scent towards the village shops, and then he’s torn between sniffing out Brendon and going to Tyler, a much more inviting scent verses an angry demon. Tough choice. Josh is a good sex god, he prides himself on it, and he opts for finding Brendon to explain himself. The scent becomes overwhelming and musky right at the edge of the field, just a few feet into the forest. When he approaches the figure, he’s somewhat bewildered until the man turn to face him.

“Josh, how nice of you to join me,” The voice rings out, familiar though a bit higher than usual. But Brendon looks so different. His horns are gone, and his stony, rough skin has been replaced with smooth porcelain. His hair is arranged into a nice, clean pompadour, and his eyes are giant and round, soft brown irises anybody would melt in. Josh is stricken by how beautiful Brendon is, and he’s sure it shows on his face. “Don’t look so surprised. This is my human form. I couldn’t very well come down here as a horned demon could I? I’m not looking to start a mob. Well, unless it’s like a sex mob. Now, down to business, Josh,” Brendon’s eyes are dark crimson in a flash and suddenly Josh is being held up against a tree by his throat. “Where the fuck have you been?” Brendon demands, though he knows Josh can’t answer. Josh is intimidated, but he remains calm. He’ll only end up back home if he “dies” here, but then he would never see Tyler again, and the thought sends him reeling. Brendon drops him and he falls with a thud onto the forest floor.

“Bren, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I-I just… Things are weird here. Things are weird with Tyler. I think I love him and I wanna keep him.” Josh says honestly, only realizing what a ridiculous thing he’s said after the words have left his mouth. Brendon barks out an incredulous laugh.

“Josh, that’s not a thing, these are people. What the fuck?” Brendon’s anger seems to have evaporated in favor of amusement at Josh’s ridiculous behavior. “I wouldn’t have been half as mad if I’d known that the reason for your delay was that you’ve lost your fucking mind,” Brendon jabs, cackling to himself as Josh looks down at his feet forlornly. “I’m going to have to finish the job for you, clearly. And I’m gonna have to teach you a fucking lesson.” With that, Brendon vanishes, and with the disappearance of him, Josh feels the fight return to himself, suddenly frantic to stop whatever Brendon has planned.

+

Brendon reappears on the other end of the field, closer to Tyler’s stand. He approaches it quickly, receiving a warm smile edged with charming dimples. “Good afternoon, what can I get you?” The man greets politely, and Brendon’s answer is quick and sharp.

“How about you, pretty thing?” Brendon watches as the gears turn behind Tyler’s eyes, several emotions flitting over his face before he settles on pleasantly surprised.

“I’ve got to finish running my stand,” Tyler explains apologetically, and there almost seems to be some flirting bleeding through. So Josh already has his claws in this kid. That’ll make Brendon’s job even easier. In a blink, Brendon’s pocket becomes heavier, and he reaches in and pulls out a small satchel of coins.

“I’ll buy everything you’ve got left for the day if you take me home with you.” He presses the satchel into Tyler’s hand, watching the smile bloom over the boy’s face, and he knows he’s won.

+

Josh tries not to look too panicked as he makes his way towards Tyler’s stand, weaving through crowds of villagers and shopkeepers. His stomach drops when he sees the stand empty, cleaned out, with no Tyler in sight. He gives up on going for casual, breaking out in a full sprint towards Tyler’s house. He keeps his eyes peeled as he runs, but he doesn’t see either of them anywhere. There’s a good chance Brendon paid for a horse drawn carriage, but Josh doesn’t have any money on him, so he does the only thing he can do, and just keep running.

His lungs are burning like dry ice by the time he gets to Tyler’s house, and it looks quiet and unoccupied from the outside. It calms Josh, even though he knows logically that the state of its outside doesn’t mean anything. He tries the front door but finds it locked, so he quickly jogs around to the back, his lungs screaming for relief. The back door is blessedly unlocked and Josh barges in before stilling completely. He can smell both of them, overwhelming and arousing, and he can hear them going at it if that isn’t enough. Josh knows what it’s like to be with Brendon, especially when you’re a human. Brendon has charms, actual supernatural charms, and when he fixes his gaze on you, you’ll never want anything else. The last thing Josh did in his human life was fuck Brendon, and it’s the only thing from his human life that he can remember.

He can hear how far gone and hysterical Tyler is in his moans, and he can hear the sweet-talking and grunting from the vengeful demon. Josh feels a pang in his gut at the thought of them together, feels utterly defeated. He pushes forward despite how hard his weak human form is fighting him, and he races towards where the sounds are coming from.

When he opens he door, the sight he is met with hits him with half dread and half arousal. His stomach clenches with both emotions, and Josh is so hard and he’s so upset. Brendon has Tyler bent over for him, and they’re both facing the door, which Josh is sure isn’t an accident. They both look up when he enters, and the smug look Brendon has painted over his face only lasts for a half-second before Tyler lifts his head from below him, his eyes half-lidded and gazing at Josh adoringly.

_“Josh,”_ Tyler breathes out, sounding breathless and oddly relieved. Brendon’s face contorts to one of intense anger, and he’s snatching a handful of Tyler’s hair and slamming into him in an instant.

Josh is overwhelmed, processing how sick and terrified he feels at the prospect that Tyler sounded relieved to see Josh, like maybe he needed rescuing and he didn’t want this at all. He’s even more terrified at how Brendon is treating him now, far too aggressive to be safe for a human. Tyler is groaning and screaming and Josh has no idea if it’s from pleasure or fear, but he’s too terrified to find out. He moves forward to act before he can process what he’s even doing, and he’s just as surprised as Brendon is to hear the snapping of Tyler’s neck cut through the room. Brendon stills at the same moment that Tyler goes limp, and Josh meets Brendon’s eyes for the briefest of moments before hell breaks loose. Josh crumples onto his knees, pulling Tyler’s lifeless frame down with him and cradling it to his chest as if to say, _‘he’s mine now_ ,’ and he knows Brendon hears the message loud and clear. A snarl rips from Brendon’s throat and his eyes burn deep red, and he’s ripping the hair from Josh’s scalp before either of them can even process anything.

“ _WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE, JOSH,_ ” Brendon roars, so much anger in his tone that the sentence doesn’t leave with any sort of inflection, isn’t a question or an exclamation, just a furious growling. “ _YOU HAD NO RIGHT_ ,” Josh doesn’t get the chance to respond before Brendon is ripping him limb from limb, and Josh screams from the pain, but feels carefree and triumphant on the inside, feels deep down in his bones sure that he made the right choice, damn the consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brendon may or may not (kinda up to the reader's interpretation) charm Tyler into sex with him, which is pretty iffy consent-wise, and Tyler seems like he might be relieved when Josh shows up, so read that how you will. Josh kills Tyler to get him out of that situation (which will end up okay, he's not DEAD dead)
> 
> idk, this started out as cute and funny and then spiraled into this shitstorm, I'm sorry


	5. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With one last snap of his fingers, Brendon is back in his throne, settling on it without so much as a creak. Neither of the men curled together on the floor notice his entry, which is lovely, because Brendon would hate to miss storytime.

Furious growls keep clawing their way out of Brendon’s throat, each new breath bringing with it hot, infuriating anger. How _dare_ Josh? He becomes even more angry when he realizes that, in killing Josh, he’s let him win, let him go be with his precious fucking Tyler while Brendon is forced to clean up the mess and finish his fucking job for him. Brendon is angry more at his temper than anything else, knowing this is entirely his fault. Josh completed a human sacrifice, he killed Tyler while Brendon was mating him, that’s how Brendon gets his recruits. Josh knows, he went through it. If Brendon hadn’t slept with Tyler, Josh wouldn’t have had the opportunity, and if Brendon hadn’t reacted by killing Josh’s human form, effectively sending him back home _where Tyler now awaits_ , then Brendon wouldn’t have to stay down here and finish the job.

He snaps his fingers and the pieces of Josh’s human form disappear. He never really existed anyway. Tyler will be another story, but luckily a broken neck isn’t hard to clean up. Brendon tosses Tyler’s body from the roof, throwing a broom down with him and busting a part of the gutter off. He wants to make it look like Tyler fell cleaning his gutter, because accidents happen, but a suicide would have the potential of starting the kind of enlightenment that could end this impressionable village. When Brendon is happy with his handy work, he heads back toward the village and picks a few people at random, filling innocent heads with filthy fantasies as he walks past. The lucky few he’s chosen, he pulls to a secluded area and performs, teaches with his hands and his mouth. By the time the shops are ready to close, he can smell the sex in the air, can see the new, mischievous glint in the villagers’ eyes, and he knows his work is done. Which _wasn’t so fucking hard, was it, Josh?_

+

When Josh comes to, he’s in the cellar in front of Brendon’s throne, clouds soft pillows underneath him. Tyler is curled in a small, scared ball next to him, trembling. Josh feels so heavy with guilt that he’s surprised the clouds can hold him up. He really didn’t mean to, he didn’t think about it, he just wanted to get Tyler out of there and safe. He reaches out to place a hand delicately on Tyler’s shoulder, and he recoils it quickly when Tyler jumps, before his eyes flit up to meet Josh’s.

“Josh?” Tyler whines weakly, sounding confused and terrified. Josh unfolds himself and scoops Tyler into his arms immediately.

“It’s me Tyler, it’s Josh, it’s okay I’ve got you. I’m so, so sorry, Tyler,” Josh is whispering but there are tears streaming down his face, burning a trail of guilt straight down both cheeks. Tyler clings back desperately, burying his face in Josh’s neck and breathing deep. Josh knows how overwhelming it is when you first arrive, sensory overload flooding your awareness, especially the smells. Josh is so thrilled that Tyler finds such comfort in his smell; he knew this whole thing wasn’t in his head. They were meant to be mates, Josh is sure of it now.

“What happened?” Tyler finally asks, after his breathing evens out and his shaking subsides. Josh cards his fingers through Tyler’s soft hair and starts from the beginning.

+

With one last snap of his fingers, Brendon is back in his throne, settling on it without so much as a creak. Neither of the men curled together on the floor notice his entry, which is lovely, because Brendon would hate to miss storytime.

“You sounded so scared, Tyler, and I panicked, I didn’t know what to do. Brendon is so much stronger than me, and I just, I didn’t know how else to get you out of there. I just—I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t give you any fucking choice and I’m so fucking sorry, Tyler.” Josh is crying, maybe has been the whole time, and Brendon admittedly feels the smallest bit bad for him. He’s still angry though, and petty. So he starts a dramatic slow clap, startling both of the boys in front of him, though they continue to cling to each other.

“What a lovey story, Josh. Thank you so much for sharing. Now it’s my turn. After I finished cleaning up your bodies, I fucked that whole village silly. It took me, like, all of half an hour. So well done, Josh. You managed to fuck up the easiest job I’ve ever given you. But I guess, to be fair, I did add a catch. I didn’t expect it to become some kind of test for you, I just wanted to give you a piece of the happiness that your human life offered. I didn’t realize how deep your love for your silly human mate went,” Josh furrows his brows, tilting his head questioningly. Tyler looks confused as ever. Brendon continues, “You see, when I brought you here, Josh, I wiped you of the memories of your human life. I did that because I’m not a piece of shit, and you had a lot of trouble coping with those memories. I didn’t have to do this with my other recruits, because they never knew love. But I didn’t find you on a mission, like I did the others, I found you on vacation. Your human home was quite the opposite of the places we do our missions now. It was run by sex and impulse, a disgusting cesspool of sin. Just the kind of lovely place I like to stay to unwind. And amidst all that chaos and disloyalty, there was you, the most beautiful specimen I’d ever laid eyes on. And I had to have you, Josh. Only you weren’t like the others. You were loyal, you were noble, and pure. You had a steady partner, and the two of you had the strongest bond I’d ever seen. You were playing music together, and saving lives. It took months of coaxing and charming to get you to agree to let me fuck you, and even then, it had to be with Tyler watching. Poor thing was so heartbroken when I took you in front of him,” Josh looks suddenly horrified and Tyler has gone pale.

“Took me?” Josh cuts in, wanting Brendon to deny what Josh already knows.

“It’s always quick and relatively painless, I just choke my recruits until they lose consciousness. And then boom! They wake up here! Obviously it was a little more complicated with a witness, so I drugged him. He was still awake when he saw you go limp, and he screamed, but I comforted him. I told him you were still breathing, you just lost consciousness. ‘It’s happened before,’ I told him, ‘He’ll come to in a few minutes. You look tired, Tyler, come get some sleep, maybe you two will wake up at the same time, hm?’ and Tyler stumbled over to the bed and took hold of your hand and then that was it. When he woke up, you were gone. Tyler called the police but he ended up being the major suspect and it was really high profile, so people wanted someone to blame. When the police couldn’t find anything, they blamed Tyler, and none of the fans would buy it so there was a lot of backlash and it got really nasty. I felt responsible, so I used all the charming and power I could to make the world forget he ever existed. It worked on everyone but Tyler, I just couldn’t take the memory of Josh from him. He ended up becoming a recluse and thinking he was crazy. It was so terrible, I’ll admit, but I just really needed you, Josh. Anyway, when I saw that he was here in this dimension, well, I wanted to give you some time with him. Call it a momentary lapse in judgement. I had no fucking idea you’d lose your mind like this, I honestly didn’t think it was possible for you to recognize him. I just figured you obviously found him attractive. But you went fucking apeshit and now Tyler’s stuck here with us forever, so.”

There is a long stretch of silence, thick with tension. All three of them are surprised when it’s Tyler’s tentative voice that breaks through it.

“Brendon? Is there any way to give us our memories back? I want the real me to know that he gets to spend forever with Josh. That he wasn’t crazy. That _I_ wasn’t crazy.” It’s a reasonable enough request, Brendon thinks, and probably the least he could do to make up for something that’s been driving him crazy with guilt for centuries. He’s pretty afraid that they’ll both want to kill him afterwards, but even then, at least they’ll all finally get closure.

“Yeah. Yeah, I can do that,” Brendon sighs defeatedly before taking a deep breath, closing his eyes, and snapping his fingers.

+

 Tyler stares off into space as memories flood him. There are entire lifetimes of memories rushing towards him. Almost all of them are black and white, and disposable, and Tyler tosses them just as quickly, entire lifetimes spent feeling empty and not knowing why, feeling like something was taken from him. He zeroes in only on the first life he had, when he lost Josh, and the last life he had, when he found him again. It’s like choosing which photos to put in an album. And when he’s done, he snaps back into reality, and he’s sitting on a cloud next to Josh. He surges forward then, and Josh meets him halfway and then they’re crushing each other in a bruising kiss, enveloping each other in the warmth of entangles limbs. Their teeth clack together as they smile into the kiss, but neither of them can be bothered to pull apart. They’re laughing breathlessly into each other’s mouths, and Tyler feels a giddy completeness bubbling up in his chest that he hasn’t felt since that last show they played together, holding hands as they bowed before a sold out arena full of deafening screams. It was all taken from them that night, but it can never be taken from them again. They were gods together now, and they had forever to spend remembering each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the end is so cheese. There MAY be an epilogue if you guys want it, because I'm a sucker for epilogues.  
> Thanks so much for reading it and encouraging me, even though it's really weird.

**Author's Note:**

> ***POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING FOR DUB-CON*** He is into the sex, but he doesn't actually know that sex is what they're doing, so technically he can't consent to an act he doesn't know he's participating in? But he's into it. No Tylers were harmed in the making of this.


End file.
